Sweet Revelations
by majesticwolf27
Summary: Toph tells Sokka how she feels about him and he rejects her. Angry, she takes on a mission from Zuko to release all war-prisoners. When Sokka finds her 2 years later, he questions his true feelings. Action and love ensues. Tokka, Kataang, Maiko. Cussing.
1. Chapter 1: Misguided Youth

Sweet Revelation

An Avatar: The Last Airbender Fic

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, nor can I even aspire to. So broke.

Chapter 1: Misguided Youth

Toph lay on her back in the muddied grass of Katara's backyard. She and Aang had purchased a home shortly before the arrival of their first child, Kira, and Toph was mooching off of them until Sokka got his own place, at which time she would begin mooching off of him. Toph grinned at the thought, and inhaled the earthen scent that surrounded her.

Life was good for the Earthbender. Ozai had been defeated, and Zuko was working to help Aang enforce world peace. She still hung out with Sokka on a daily basis, and she would spend time with Katara when she wasn't busy being a mom.

Toph smiled to herself; since Katara had become a mother, she had spent minimal amounts of time mothering Toph. It was a nice change of pace. It allowed her to test Suki's patience endlessly and go around wreaking havoc on the innocent bystanders. Okay, so she didn't wreak havoc, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that life was good. She had a roof over her head-provided she didn't piss Katara off-and she was able to spend large quantities of time with the guy she loved.

Wait, that's where things got sticky…and not so good. Sokka was undoubtedly in love with Suki. Lately, the more she ragged on Suki, the less patience Sokka showed her. There had been a time when Sokka would not defend the warrior, but chuckle to himself as he went about his business. Toph had no doubt in her mind that she loved Sokka, but she had doubts about his loyalty to Suki.

Toph was fairly certain that she could get Sokka to leave Suki for her. She _was _Toph Bei Fong, the world's greatest Earthbender. She was the blind girl who could see with her feet. She could bend metal for crying out loud. What could Suki do? Throw a fan.

So Toph wasn't exactly the most ladylike girl out there. So she wore a healthy layer of dirt. So what? What was so incomparable to Suki? She wasn't the worst option in the world, and hell, she cleaned up nice.

Toph sighed and stood up. It was time to consult Sugar-queen on the matter. Toph made her way in the back door and headed towards the nearest crashing noises.

Katara glanced up from the pile of dishes Kira had just knocked down and shattered to see Toph's empty eyes staring down at her. Katara glanced at her daughter, who was trying to get into the broken pieces, and looked back to Toph.

"I know you don't like kids, but could you please pick Kira up? I don't want her to get cut…" Katara trailed off, seeing that the younger woman had already picked the baby up.

"This is going to cost you," Toph quipped. Katara rolled her eyes as she located the broom and swept up the shards. After she dumped them in the trash, she took her daughter back from Toph and placed her on her hip.

"So, I see you decided to stop soaking in the mud. I'll need to wash those now." Toph rolled her eyes and took a seat with an awkward sort of grace. The girl was silent for several minutes before Katara sighed. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." She stated simply. Toph rolled her eyes again and scratched at the wooden table.

"Actually, it's not so much of a problem…as…an issue?" she asked, her statement changing into a question with each word. Katara raised an eyebrow as she rocked Kira.

"Okay. What is this…issue you have?" Toph began picking at the mud on her green tunic.

"I wouldn't really say it's an issue." Katara rolled her eyes.

"Toph! What is going on?" Toph tilted her head towards Katara and held her palms skyward.

"I don't think Sokka should be with Suki." She muttered. Katara glanced at the sleeping form in her arms, and thankfully, Aang walked in. Katara handed Kira to him, and motioned for him to take her to the bedroom they shared.

"Look, Toph, I know you like Sokka, and there's nothing wrong with that, it's just that Suki hasn't done anything wrong." Toph shook her head, and blew her bangs out of her face.

"That's not true. Suki doesn't see Sokka like I do." Toph paused as the two women realized the oddity of her word choice. Toph shook her head and continued. "She sees a handsome warrior." Katara gave Toph a quizzical look.

"Sokka is handsome. And, he is a warrior." Toph sighed.

"You're missing the point. That's all she sees. She doesn't see that he's uncoordinated, and messy. She doesn't see that he doesn't set up camp right or that he could eat an entire hippo-cow by himself. She just sees what he could be if she implemented some changes. She wants perfection. Sokka isn't perfect." Katara sat down across from her friend, her heart aching. Katara knew that Sokka did not harbor the same feelings for Toph, although if she had to choose between Toph and Suki, she would probably choose Toph for her brother. They seemed to connect on a level that many could not achieve even after years of searching. Katara sighed.

"Toph, I think it's wonderful that you know Sokka and love him. Whatever Suki's reasons for loving him may be, she loves him, and that is what is important." Toph turned her head towards the open window and sighed.

"I suppose you're right. I just feel like it should be me that he loves, not her." Katara reached out and patted Toph's forearm.

"I know, and I'm sorry. Sometimes life isn't fair. Sometimes you have to fight for what you want and you still may not win." Toph's face lit up at the word 'fight'.

"You're right Katara. I love Sokka, and I should fight Suki for him!" Katara shifted.

"That isn't what I meant!" she yelled, hoping Toph was listening. Toph jumped up and rolled her eyes.

"I mean figuratively. It would be too easy to beat her in a fight." Toph smiled, confidence kicking into overdrive. She moved towards the kitchen door. "I'll see you later! Thanks Katara!" Toph disappeared, the door slamming behind her. Katara stared into the space she had occupied, her mind racing.

"Spirits help us," she begged.

A/N: Hi there. I know I'm supposed to be updating my other story, but I have an imagination that tends to run rampant. For those of you reading this that are reading My Protector, I promise to update soon. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review. It makes me sad when I see that five hundred and some odd people have read one of my stories and only three have reviewed. Makes me feel like I wasted my time. Anyhow, thanks again and please review. ~Kirsten


	2. Chapter 2: Marry Me

Chapter 2: Marry Me?

(Occurs at the same time as chapter 1)

Sokka stared at the betrothal necklace in his hand and smiled. Life was good. His father would be returning home soon, Suki was staying on Ember Island with them, and he would be proposing to her in a matter of minutes.

Yup, life was good for the young warrior, and nothing could possibly go wrong.

Sokka stood and headed towards the beach where Suki was sun-bathing. As he sat down beside her, she looked up.

"Hey Sokka!" she looked around suspiciously. "Toph isn't with you, is she?" Sokka chuckled and shook his head. He leaned down and kissed Suki briefly.

"So, I wanted to talk to you." He began, anxiety already creeping into his resolve. Suki sat up in her seat and sent him a questioning look.

"Sure, what's wrong?" Sokka quickly raised his hands. He took one of her hands in his own.

"Nothings wrong. In fact…everything is right." Suki's eyes widened as she realized where he was going. "Suki, you mean so much to me, and I can't imagine spending my life with anyone but you." Suki gently pulled her hand away as he pulled out the necklace. Suki stared at the smooth green stone, a gold fan engraved into it. Suki looked back up at Sokka, his eyes expectant. Suki hesitantly shook her head.

"I'm sorry Sokka. We have our whole lives ahead of us. I love you, but I'm not sure I'm ready for such a big commitment." She handed him back the necklace, and he slowly pocketed it, his head drooping.

"I see." He whispered, not knowing what else to say. Suki touched his cheek gingerly, her eyes filled with concern.

"I love you Sokka, that still means something, right?" Sokka looked up at her, and then his rejected necklace. He forced a smile.

"Of course it does."

Sokka stormed into Katara's house through the back door. He walked into the kitchen as Katara stared at the ceiling and spoke.

"Spirits help us." She said, her voice pleading with the ceiling. Sokka arched an eyebrow.

"Help you with what?" he asked. Katara jumped, clearly surprised, and stood. She rounded on him quickly, her index finger jabbing his chest.

"How long have you been standing there? And you better not lie to me Sokka!" Sokka raised his hands in surrender.

"I just walked in. Why?" Katara stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"No reason," she lied, poorly at best. Sokka ignored this and sat down in the chair across from where she had been sitting. He jumped back up as mud soaked his pants.

"Gross! Katara, tell me this is mud and not something of Kira's." Katara stifled a laugh and nodded.

"Yeah, Toph was sitting there a little bit ago. I haven't had a chance to clean it up yet." Sokka rolled his eyes and flopped back down.

"Well, don't worry about it now, I've already taken care of it." He growled, his face slipping into a pout. Katara sighed internally and sat down.

"What's wrong with you now?" Sokka glared at his sister.

"What do you mean 'now'? When have I come to you with anything lately?" Katara shook her head.

"I just meant that…well…Toph came to me earlier with a problem." Sokka nodded slowly. He would deal with that later. Right now, he needed his sister's motherly instincts.

"Katara, I asked Suki to marry me." Katara forced a smile.

"Great…congratulations?" she tried, feeling sorry for Toph. Sokka sighed and dropped his head onto the table.

"She said no." Katara froze, torn between her friend and brother. She put a hand on his shoulder, and kneeled beside him.

"I'm so sorry Sokka. Are you alright?" she asked, family momentarily trumping friends. Sokka shrugged.

"I guess so. She still wants to be with me." Katara couldn't stop herself from taking on a motherly stance and glaring at him.

"She wants to be with you, but she doesn't want to commit to you? What do you see wrong with this picture?" Sokka hesitantly nodded.

"I know. But, we've been through so much. It seems stupid to throw it away over this." Katara shrugged and motioned to the stove.

"Look, I need to start dinner. You are welcome to stay." Sokka sighed and nodded. "I know you're hurting, but there are tons of people out there who would love to be married to a Water Tribe warrior." Sokka snorted as Katara lit the fire.

"Yeah, they're obviously just lining up to meet me." He said, sarcasm drowning out his hurt feelings.

"I know one," Katara muttered. Sokka's head jerked up.

"What did you say?" Katara quickly feigned innocence.

"Oh, I didn't say anything." She lied. Sokka opened his mouth to interrogate her, but the front door banged open. "Oh boy," she whispered, and went to check on her daughter and husband. She brushed by Toph as she left the kitchen.

**A/N: **Just a short chapter this time. The next one probably won't be long either. Anyway, thanks for reading. Please continue to read and please review, they make my day. ~Kirsten


	3. Chapter 3: Hate

Chapter 3: Hate

Sokka had begun writing a letter to Suki by the time Toph made it to the kitchen. She sat down across from him, determination permeating every fiber of her being.

"So, do you have a minute Sokka?" she asked, a speech already forming in her mind. Sokka didn't look up, but uttered a sound of annoyance.

"Can't you see I'm busy Toph?" Toph froze; why was Sokka being hostile?

"Actually, I can't see anything." Sokka looked up, embarrassed by his outburst.

"I'm sorry Toph. I just have a lot on my mind right now. I'm writing a letter." Toph nodded as Sokka rubbed his temples.

"Why, what happened? Did Suki the fun-sucker break up with you?" Sokka glanced up, not in the mood for Toph's jokes, but mentally storing the name to laugh at later.

"Actually, I'm breaking up with her." Toph nearly squealed with glee. It was like all the pieces were clicking into place. Maybe she had a shot after all. Besides, she was Toph Bei Fong, she was not about to give up.

"Wow. That's deep Snoozles. Are you okay?" Sokka glanced up again and sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it. What did you want anyway?" he asked, hoping that he could multitask long enough to get Toph off his back.

"Well, the truth is, I really like you Sokka. And I think that you like me back." Sokka dropped his brush, effectively ruining his letter.

"Wait, what? What makes you think that?" Sokka couldn't say that he was surprised that Toph liked him, but he didn't think that he was giving mixed signals. Toph rolled her eyes.

"Are you or aren't you breaking up with Suki?" Sokka glanced around the room, praying for the patience to get through this extremely awkward conversation.

"Toph, I'm breaking up with Suki because she won't marry me." Toph nearly fell out of her chair. She couldn't believe that he had proposed to that…that…woman!

"Yeah, but whether you like it or not, we have something that goes deeper than friendship. How could you give that up to be with someone that is constantly trying to change you?" Sokka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Toph, you can't force someone to love you. That isn't how it works." Toph could feel herself losing, but pushed on because that's what she was known for.

"Sure I can. I mean, probably not with any guy off the street, but we're talking about you. There's already something there." Sokka pushed back his chair, annoyed at Toph.

"Toph," he began, but she cut him off.

"No, listen to me. I know you for who you are and I love you. I don't want you to change. We fit together so perfectly." Sokka felt his anger melt away and become replaced with sympathy.

"Toph, I'm sorry. We are great friends, but that's all I want from you." He put a hand on her shoulder, but she wrenched away from him.

"You'll regret this. One day, you'll realize that I was right and it will be too damn late!" Toph stood and stormed out of the kitchen, fighting back tears. Sokka stared after her, torn. He wanted to run to her, to make her understand that he did love her, just not the way she wanted. But at the same time, he didn't want to encourage her fantasy. So he let her go.

Toph padded up the steps to Zuko's palace with tears fresh on her cheeks. She would show Sokka. He would miss her and realize that he loved her, but it would be too late. There was no way she would ever give him a chance after all of this.

Toph threw open the doors and stepped into the foyer, trying to sense where Zuko was. Luckily, he and Mai had just come in from another room. Zuko walked towards her, concerned by her tears.

"Toph, is everything alright?" Toph glared in the direction she heard his voice come from, and shoved a finger into his chest.

"You're going to put me in charge of the prisoner release mission!" Zuko and Mai exchanged a glance, but Toph could feel the change in their heart rates. "Don't treat me like a child! I can handle this! I want to do this." Toph looked away and Mai nodded to Zuko.

"Did you have anyone in mind that you wanted to take with you?" Toph's head jerked towards Mai, and she smiled.

"No, whoever you previously selected will be fine." Mai glanced at the seventeen year old and nodded.

"Did you plan on taking anyone from the group?" Toph shook her head.

"I'm going solo." In the five years since the war had ended, Zuko had never seen Toph apart from Sokka. Mai put a hand on Toph's shoulder.

"Alright, we need to brief you and you can select some weapons to take." Toph nodded and followed Mai and Zuko, hoping that somehow she could leave her love for Sokka behind as easily as she could leave him behind.

**A/N: **So, this was another short-ish chapter. Hopefully it was in character. I always worry about that. Anyway, thanks for reading, please continue to do so. Please review. ~Kirsten


	4. Chapter 4: Maybe

Chapter 4: Maybe

Two Years Later

The twenty three year old war hero had never been more terrified in his life. Here he was, standing in his sister's garden, fear engulfing him like never before. Katara stared at Sokka in utter annoyance.

At twenty one, Katara had filled out to be quite the heartbreaker. Not that it mattered though; she and Aang were happily married. She was dressed in a blue tunic and skirt, much like the outfit she once traveled in, and had her long hair pulled into a bun.

Aang stood beside her. At nineteen, he had finally grown into his reputation. He was muscled enough to fit his role of Avatar. But, everyone who was close to him knew that he was still a teddy bear.

Their daughter was nestled between them. She had short brown hair, halfway pulled into a ponytail. She had her mom's blue eyes, and her father's smile. She was three.

Sokka had Aang beat by far. He was broad-shouldered, and muscled. His hair was grown out and fashioned like his father's, and he had a small goatee going. Sokka wore a blue, sleeveless tunic, and dark pants. On his chest, above his heart, he had a tattoo of the face of a badger mole. He liked to tell people that he was wasted when he had gotten it. Only he knew that it served as a daily reminder of the woman that used to be his best friend.

Though she hadn't spoken to him since their fight, she frequently wrote to Katara and Aang. She even sent Kira souvenirs from the various places her mission took her. After two years, she still hadn't reached the Boiling Rock prison.

Sokka stopped his self-destructive train of thought and glared at his sister.

"Why didn't you tell me that she was so close?" Katara put a finger to her lip in mock thought.

"Oh gee, could it be because she doesn't want anything to do with you? Could it be that she took on a deadly mission to get away from you because you're insensitive? Gee, I wonder." Sokka sighed; Katara blamed him for Toph leaving, and she worried about Toph constantly. It wasn't as though Sokka didn't care about Toph. He thought about her every day. But one thing after another had come up, and he had never been close enough to apologize face-to-face. Now, his sister was telling him that Toph was less than a week's journey away by ship. Sokka just happened to own a ship. A few actually, but that was beside the point.

"Where is she staying at?" Katara's eyes slowly changed. She sighed.

"She's staying at the palace in the North Pole." Sokka's blood chilled. It would hurt him greatly to be in the same place he had lost Yue. Sokka scolded himself mentally; he needed to make things right with Toph. He glanced at his niece and smiled.

"I thought that was a Water Tribe necklace she was wearing. How long is Toph staying there?" Katara and Aang exchanged a glance.

"You just happened to be passing through the area and stopped by the palace to see how Chief Arnook was doing." Katara stated. Sokka rolled his eyes and nodded.

"I take it I can catch her if I leave now?" he asked. Katara nodded slowly and glanced at Kira.

"Give uncle Sokka a hug and kiss. He has to go now." Kira toddled to her uncle and he picked her up.

"Bye uncle sock." She lisped. Sokka kissed her forehead and set her back down. Sokka turned and embraced his sister.

"Thank you Katara. You know how much this means to me." Katara gave him a pointed look.

"I don't know what you're thanking me for. I didn't tell you anything." Sokka rolled his eyes and hugged Aang.

"Take care of my niece. I'll be back soon." Sokka turned and headed away from them, determined to get to the North Pole to make things right.

That night, he dreamed of Toph. He dreamed about their fight, and he could see how cruel he was to her. Yes, the timing was terrible, but she was still his friend. He could have handled things differently. The past two years had been brutal; he had lost his best friend. His days seemed empty, and he began traveling with his father in hopes of filling the void. He had quickly assumed a high rank, but he still felt lonely. There were times when he would turn to tell Toph a joke, only to be reminded that he had driven her away. Hakoda had treated Sokka with understanding and kindness, and Bato had offered his own insight, but nothing helped. Sokka still felt empty and foolish. Toph was right; he missed her terribly, in a way that he probably wouldn't had she been Suki.

**A/N: **I know this was a short chapter, but I sensed a finality in that last sentence that would have been diminished had I kept typing. I have a few things to do, but will most likely have another chapter up tonight. Thanks for reading, please review. ~Kirsten


	5. Chapter 5: Holy Momo

Chapter 5: Holy Momo

Sokka pulled his parka tighter against his throat and sighed. Although he had been to the palace, he had yet to find Toph. Going to the palace had dampened his spirits, but he was determined to find Toph and try to set things straight.

He walked the icy paths until he came to the abandoned tavern Arnook had mentioned. When he pushed open the door, the scent of blood filled his nostrils. He looked around and realized why.

Two large men were fighting; the smaller one had the upper hand, and once was bleeding profusely from a head wound. Sokka glanced around the room, searching for Toph, and wondered why so many people were watching. He liked a good fight as much as the next guy, but this was brutal. Sokka moved around the edge of the crowd, determined to find whoever was in charge to ask if they had seen Toph. As cheering erupted, someone grabbed him from behind.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The large man demanded. Sokka noticed that his face and arms were heavily tattooed. Sokka straightened and looked him straight in the eye.

"I am a Water Tribe warrior." The words caused all in hearing range to laugh, and Sokka stared the man down again. The large man grinned.

"Then you must be here to compete. Throw him in the ring!" Sokka's eyes darted around as he tried to protest. His pleas fell on deaf ears.

Sokka stumbled into the ring and he glanced at the small man that had just came out victorious. The man grinned.

"Do you want to know the rules warrior?" Sokka nodded.

"That would be nice." The man spit in his face and laughed.

"Don't lose, and you may get a chance to accompany the master to the prison." Sokka looked around, hoping it was Toph the man was referring to. He didn't see her, but didn't have a chance to keep looking; the man sent a throwing knife towards Sokka's head.

Sokka dodged and slipped the boomerang he had bought many years ago from the strap on his shoulder. He flicked it deftly, and it nicked the man's cheek on the way back around.

"That was a warning. Don't make me hit you again." He smiled, adrenaline beginning to work its way through his veins. His opponent snickered and sent a column of rock at Sokka, who barely had time to roll away and fling his boomerang again. With surprising dexterity, he pulled the sword from his shoulder strap and rolled towards the man, dodged another column, knocked his opponent down, and aimed his sword at the man's throat. Mere centimeters from his throat, Sokka smiled. "Give up?" he asked. The smaller man nodded.

"Yeah, but only because the master just walked in." Sokka looked towards the door, and the man kicked him, sending him flying into the column of rock. Sokka rubbed the back of his left shoulder and swore. He glanced up and his eyes settled on a pair of sealskin boots and moved up to a long, green kimono with a dragon embroidered in gold thread onto it. Two slits ran up the sides, revealing sculpted legs, and a dagger strapped to the upper right thigh. A thick white band ended the slits settled above the woman's shapely hips. She had a thin waist, and he could see her hands, coiled into fists; long black hair that nearly reached her wrists. She had a large bust-not that Sokka was looking-and the place where the two sides of her kimono met were low enough to reveal cleavage. When his eyes roved over her shoulders-concealed by a short, dark green jacket-he moved on to her face and gasped. Sokka ignored her facial structure that gave her a natural beauty, and stared at her milky green eyes.

"Kai, if you cannot gracefully admit defeat, you risk the lives of those around you. You can get out. I have no use for you." She spoke, her voice strong, but melodic. "And you, all of you pricks get the hell out of my training arena. This is for my team only. There's nothing to see here." She yelled to the observers. Sokka slowly pushed himself to his feet, still staring at the woman who didn't seem to recognize him. Maybe it wasn't Toph. She rounded on him, her small fist raised. "I don't know who the hell you think you are coming in here and starting shit with my warriors, but you have five seconds-" The man, Kai, turned to her and glared at Sokka, apparently blaming him for the fight.

"He says he's a warrior from the Water Tribe." The woman's eyes widened fractionally, and her expression went from annoyed to livid.

"I thought I smelled meat." Kai raised an eyebrow and she motioned for everyone to clear out. After the room was empty, she sat down in a chair that someone had left near the arena. "What the hell are you doing here?" she questioned, undoubtedly Toph at this point. Sokka struggled to form a smile and a coherent sentence.

"Spirits Toph, you look so different." Toph rolled her eyes.

"I don't know how you found me, but if I had wanted you to, don't you think I would have let you know by now?" she replied, her eyes already moving onto other things she could not see. Sokka knew that he had hurt her, but he didn't think it had cut that deep.

"Toph, I came here for a reason." Toph rolled her eyes again and held out a manicured hand and pretended to examine it.

"Wow, let me guess. You're sorry you were such an ass, and you want me to forgive you?" Sokka stared at her skeptically and then nodded.

"Something along those lines…look, I am sorry Toph. I never meant to hurt you. The timing of it all…" Toph stood.

"Well, I'm not going to forgive you, so you might as well leave. I have a team to assemble. You can leave the same way you came in." Toph turned and Sokka grabbed at her thin jacket. Toph spun around and slapped him. "Don't touch me! I don't want anything to do with you!" she yelled. Sokka stepped back, his hand falling to his side. Toph stared at him, the pain evident in her sightless eyes, and he realized just how many times he had seen the look; too many times to count. Sokka stared at his booted feet.

"I'm sorry Toph, for grabbing you. It's just that…" he trailed off, knowing that he had spent the last two years waiting for a chance to make things right. "Zuko sent me to infiltrate the Boiling Rock prison with you." Toph's eyes widened and he waited for her to catch him in his lie. After a moment she slammed her fist into the wall closest to her.

"That bastard, I warned him not to. He said that you were such an amazing warrior now and la de day. Like I give a flying…"

"If you don't want me to go, I can talk to Zuko." He interrupted, hoping that she wouldn't call his bluff. Toph's eyebrows arched.

"No…I hadn't wanted to risk one of my men really. You're perfect for this mission." She rounded on him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "Let me tell you right now Sokka. I hate you. I don't want you to say anything that isn't crucial to this mission. And when it's over, I never, want to see you again." Sokka opened his mouth to make a remark, but shut it quickly. He was really pushing his luck as it was. He bowed deeply to Toph.

"I understand, thank you." Toph glared at him and turned abruptly, giving him a view of the back of her jacket. Embroidered in gold was the moon.

Sokka handed the scroll to Hawky and gave him a piece of fruit.

"Take that to Zuko." The hawk trilled and flew off, Sokka pulling his arm back just in time to miss the droppings he left. Sokka had spent all day trying to sort out what had happened. He had written Zuko a letter informing him of his intentions of accompanying Toph to Boiling Rock and asked him not to inform Toph of his lie. He hoped that Zuko would do as asked, but Zuko was nothing if not unpredictable. He could tell Toph just for a laugh.

Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He had no idea how he was going to be able to travel with Toph while she was being so hostile. And holy Momo, Toph was beautiful. How was he supposed to just ignore that? Sokka laid his head on the small table in the room he had rented in the palace inn. It was going to be a long trip. That much was certain. If he could just manage to get Toph to warm up to him again, he could apologize and they could go back to being friends. Sokka tilted his head to the side as he realized that he may not want to go back to being friends. In the end, maybe Toph was right.

**A/N**: I know this chapter wasn't too much longer than the others, and I am sorry. I also realize that this chapter was a little similar to another story, but I didn't mean for it to be and tried to change it as much as possible without losing the point and necessity of this. If the person of said story reads this and feels that I was too close, please let me know and I will gladly do what I can to further modify it. No offense or harm was intended. Thank you all for reading. Please review. OH! BIG THANKS TO MY TWO REVIEWERS: Rinnie Tuesday and Alanabanani. Thank you again for the support. Please keep on reading guys. Maybe another chapter tonight, if not, one first thing tomorrow! ~Kirsten


	6. Chapter 6: Lying Leads You Nowhere

Chapter 6: Lying Leads You Nowhere

Sokka rubbed his eyes as he followed Toph onto his ship. It was just before dawn and they were going to take his ship to the Firenation. Somehow, Toph had managed to take the ship over as soon as she found out it was his. Not that Sokka minded, he hoped it would lighten her mood to not have to travel by ferry to the Earth Kingdom and then walk, and then take another ferry. Having his own ship meant they could bypass the whole mess and just go straight to the Boiling Rock prison. Sokka turned on the engine and threw the last of his belongings into the small cabin he used to both navigate and sleep in. At one point, Sokka had taken Zuko up on the offer to give the Water Tribe ship a Fire Nation engine, and it had been smooth sailing since. Sokka laughed inwardly at his joke and flopped onto his bed. He had yet to tell Toph that she didn't have one; he figured she would want to sleep on the deck anyway.

Sokka jumped off of his cot as the door to his cabin swung open. Toph stared at him, nostrils flared; she was wearing the same outfit he had met her in.

"You bastard! There's only one bed in here!" Sokka sighed and dropped his head.

"I thought that you would want to sleep on the deck. I can turn us around and go back for one." Toph rolled her eyes, and stamped her foot in a way that was feminine and childish. Sokka briefly wondered if he was dreaming.

"No, that's okay. I'll sleep in here and you can sleep on the deck. A woman needs her privacy anyway." She sneered, and Sokka picked up his bag.

"That's fine. I'm going to divert control down to the deck then. I'll be out of your way in a moment." He sighed and moved a few levers in the cabin before heading to the deck, his head drooped. He prayed that he was not the reason Toph had become so hostile. There had to be more to it…right?

Toph sat on the bed Sokka had been laying in when she walked in. If she inhaled deeply, she could still smell his watery scent. Not that she wanted to. Toph flopped onto her back and sighed again. Living in the North Pole for the past few months had forced her to adapt to being blind, and lucky her, the boat Sokka had was made of wood, so she was still blind. The whole situation was pissing her off. She didn't deserve to be stuck with the man she had loved and who had rejected her. She had done a lot of good things; releasing innocents and whatnot. That had to get her some brownie points with the universe, right? Toph rolled onto her stomach and sighed. In a million years she never would have guessed that she and Sokka would be traveling alone. Three years ago, of course; she would have even looked forward to it. Two years and two months ago, she still would have looked forward to it. Now…now it seemed like a punishment. Toph had changed, and Sokka was no longer her friend. It was that simple.

Sokka rolled his bedroll into an area that the edge of the cabin roof managed to partially shield, protecting him from the rays of the rising sun. Sokka closed his eyes and laid down, hoping to get a little bit of sleep while there were no obstacles that needed attention. He had just closed his eyes when a shadow engulfed him. He slowly opened one eye, and got a nice view up Toph's kimono. He blushed and scrambled to his feet.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, hoping that he sounded casual. Toph rolled her eyes and held out her arm. Sokka realized that Hawky was perched there, and blushed again. "Oh. Hawky." He held his arm out and the bird moved to him and perched happily, waiting for a fruit. Sokka rooted around his bag and produced a soft plum, fed the bird after removing the scroll, and let him take off, again moving his arm away from the falling droppings. He unrolled the scroll and read, his eyes scanning the page while Toph waited.

"Who sent it?" she finally asked. Sokka looked up and smiled.

"Zuko did. He said that he sent some Fire Nation soldiers to help us with the release of the Boiling Rock prisoners. They'll meet us at the gondola." Toph arched an eyebrow.

"Gondola?" she questioned. Sokka nodded distractedly, already planning his next move.

"Yeah, it's this closed in boxy thing that is on a wire that runs over the boiling lake to the prison." Toph blanched and took a step back, nearly tripping on a loose plank. Sokka impulsively reached out and steadied her, but she yanked her arm away. Sokka stared at her for a moment before putting the scroll in his bag. "It's probably going to take a week or so to get there. If you want, you can rest up or relax or train…whatever you want to do, in the cabin, and I'll worry about getting us there." Toph shrugged and walked away. Sokka sighed and realized that the time had come to steer the small ship.

A Week Later

Sunset was upon them, and Sokka hadn't seen or heard from Toph since Hawky had brought him the scroll. Sokka guided the ship near a string of caves and shut the engine off, hoping to get some rest. He unrolled his bedroll and laid down, his eyes sealing shut with exhaustion. The trip would be a lot easier if he had someone to talk to. As sleep danced around him, a large clap of thunder sounded, and he bolted upright. Lightning lit the sky and illuminated the moon. Sokka stared up at her for a moment, and began to cry. So many times in his short life love had eluded him. Sokka was surprised when a hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to see Toph wrapped in a hooded cloak.

"Come on, you can stay in the cabin tonight." She muttered. Sokka quickly gathered his things, worried she would change her mind, and followed her back into the cabin. He set his bedroll up in the far corner of the cabin and waited for Toph to lay down the ground rules. When she was silent, he looked up. Toph was sitting on the edge of his bed, clutching her cloak around her, and had her head tilted towards the ceiling.

"Thank you Toph." He whispered, worried he would startle her. Toph tilted her head towards him and nodded, then turned back to the ceiling. "Are you okay?" he asked, far more timidly than he normally would have. Toph sighed and shrugged.

"I was just imagining what the moon looks like." Sokka's eyes widened, and filled with tears. No matter how much time went by, he would always remember the woman that sacrificed herself for the world.

"She was beautiful." He whispered. Toph turned her head back towards him, and kept her gaze level with his shoulder. "The Ember Island Players were partially right. Yue gave her life for the moon. She became the moon. When I look at the moon, I don't see the glowing orb that most people see…I see Yue. I see her bright smile and pale eyes." He laid back and settled into his bedroll. "Just imagine a yellow orb. That should do it." He muttered, feeling foolish. Toph took off her cloak and nestled into the commandeered bed, his words ringing in her ears.

"Thank you." she whispered. For a while she assumed that he hadn't heard her, and then, a small laugh reached her ears.

"You're welcome."

Sokka navigated the ship from the cabin the next day; the storm was too bad to venture to the deck. Unfortunately, he could barely see and had side-swiped a few rocks. Each time the ship would rock, Toph would go flying and curse at him. It was like the previous night had never happened. As he moved through the treacherous waters, he attempted to make small talk with Toph.

"So, what made you start dressing like that?" he asked, avoiding a jagged rock and sending Toph flying into him. She stood up and shoved him, adjusting her green jacket. She had traded the kimono for a green version of the outfit Katara used to travel in, but she kept the green jacket with the moon.

"Why would I tell you that? And could you keep this damn thing straight?" she yelled, yanking her hair into a lopsided ponytail. Sokka rolled his eyes and tried again.

"How long were you in the North Pole before I got there?" Toph grunted and tried lying in the bed, hoping it would give her less of a jostle.

"Too damn long." She muttered, not bothering to give Sokka any cooperation. Finally, as he guided the ship into a cave, hoping to wait until the worst of the storm passed, he spun around and faced her.

"Toph, do me a favor, come here." Toph arched an eyebrow and ignored him. Sokka moved over to her after shutting off the engine. "Get up," he commanded. When Toph made no move, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Toph ripped her arm away from him and held a fist under his nose.

"I warned you not to touch me!" she threatened, shaking her fist for emphasis. Sokka wrapped his large hand over hers, engulfing it, and wrapped the other arm around her, embracing her tightly. Sokka held her tightly, despite her blatant attempts to get loose and her explicit threats. After a moment, she stopped struggling. Sokka slowly released her.

"Toph, why are you acting like this? I know that you can't possibly hate me as much as you make it seem like." Toph rolled her eyes and punched him in the stomach.

"That's a lie. You know nothing about me now. I hate you, and if you touch me again, I will hurt you. It's that simple Sokka." He straightened after the pain subsided, and watched her slip off her jacket before laying back down in the bed. He turned, pretending to give up, and smiled.

"Toph, one more question." Toph growled.

"Ugh! If I answer will you leave me alone?" Sokka slowly nodded.

"Fair enough." He replied. Toph sat up and turned her upper half towards him, blowing her long bangs out of her eyes.

"What? What do you need to know so damn bad?" Toph questioned, her anger reaching maximum altitudes.

"If you hate me so much, why do you still wear the bracelet I gave you?" Toph's hand moved to her upper arm, and Sokka thought she would take it off, maybe even throw it at him. But she didn't. Toph kept her hand on the bracelet for several silent minutes, and then lay down in her bed. She rolled over, her back to him, and presumably went to sleep, her hand on her arm. Sokka stared in surprised silence, and wondered if that meant she still cared for him.

The next day Sokka managed to navigate them into the Fire Nation port where they would meet up with the soldiers Zuko had sent. They would travel to the Boiling Rock within the week, once a plan of attack had been formed.

**A/N: **Okay, that's it for tonight. Hopefully I will get at least two more chapters up tomorrow. Thank you for reading, and please continue to read. Thanks to my faithful reviewers, you guys rock. (Rinnie Tuesday, Alanabanani, and Seatrolltakeover) Again, thanks for the support guys. Please review! ~Kirsten


	7. Chapter 7: Prisoners

Chapter 7: Prisoners

Sokka sat between two Fire Nation soldiers, cramped beyond a doubt. Zuko had sent at least ten Fire Nation soldiers to aid he and Toph, and they all had to take the gondola at once to avoid an attack by the guards that were refusing to stand down. Toph was standing in a corner, managing to keep her distance from the soldiers and him simultaneously. She hadn't spoken to him since their argument, and Sokka still felt guilty. He should have left her alone, but this was Toph; they were once best friends. Sokka sighed and attempted to stand, and when the pressure finally gave on both sides of him, he went flying directly into Toph.

Toph shoved him backwards, and he landed in a mass of spiked boots. He jumped back up and stared at her smirk. He shook his head and forced his way to the small window in the gondola and noted, with a smile, they were touching down.

The group forced their way out of the gondola. Sokka inhaled the fresh air-the gondola had smelled a little like burnt hair-and took his first look around the place.

Since he had freed his father and Suki, the warden had implemented new security measures. There was a door to leave the gondola bay similar to the ones the Fire Sages kept for Avatar Roku's statue. This door required seven simultaneous blasts. He smiled and made a mental note to thank Zuko for the guards he had sent.

As seven of the men lined up to open the door, Toph slid into her once-familiar place beside him. She reluctantly tugged on his arm.

"I'm getting weird readings Sokka." She whispered. Sokka glanced down at her, and sighed. She was back in that outfit that gave him those thoughts that were so…not…friend-like. He glanced up and watched the door creak open, and the men fell back behind Sokka and Toph. As they moved through the gate, Toph surprisingly kept her hand on his arm. As they entered the courtyard, Sokka realized that something wasn't quite right. The prison shouldn't be on lockdown. Sure, there were some guards that still wanted to remain loyal to the warden, who was loyal to Ozai, but the prisoners should still have been out in the courtyard. Toph's hand tightened as if his thoughts had passed to her.

Sokka pressed forward towards the door that led to the cells and the inside of the prison. As they crossed the courtyard, Sokka wondered if they were being set up, but dismissed the thought. There were more than enough of them to take the few remaining guards.

When they reached the door that would lead them inside, another one requiring Firebending, the previous seven men stepped up and sent the blasts. As the door slid open, Toph went still.

"Oh, spirits help us." She whispered. Sokka ordered the men to hold their positions, and turned towards Toph.

"What's wrong Toph?" he asked. Toph shook her head sadly.

"I smell death. I smell a lot of death." She whispered. Sokka motioned for the men to form a tight group, and they pressed forward. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Sokka could smell the sickening scent as well. Prisoners were screaming, and there were no guards in sight. Sokka approached the closest cell after depositing Toph with a soldier.

"Excuse me," he whispered, hoping not to startle the woman with her back to him. She spun around and stared at his outfit. Her face was frighteningly gaunt.

"I knew the Avatar would win. Most of the guards abandoned the warden when the news reached us. The remaining guards tried to lie to us, saying that hope was dead. They told us that the Avatar was dead. After such a long time, many of us believed it." Sokka nodded slowly.

"Do the guards still let you out into the yard?" The woman slowly shook her head.

"No. They feed us once a week. They let all of the Firebenders starve to death. Then, they left their rotting corpses as a sign to us of what was coming." Sokka nodded, feeling sickened, and pressed on.

"Do you know where they all are?" The woman raised a thin finger towards the top of the prison.

"There are twenty guards left. They all stay in the cafeteria, even the warden." She paused and stared back up at Sokka. "You are here to free us, right?" Sokka nodded, but held up a hand.

"We need to apprehend the guards first. Then, we'll release the war prisoners into the yard-" the woman held up a hand.

"War prisoners are all that is left. They let everyone else die." Sokka nodded and smiled.

"Once we get you all out into the yard, we'll send the sickest prisoners first, and go from there." The woman nodded.

"That would be the top level, they are treated the worst because they are the closest to the cafeteria." She said, her eyes sliding away from him. Sokka nodded and rounded up his men.

"Okay, the guards are all in the cafeteria, probably waiting for us." Toph nodded and turned towards the soldiers.

"You men are going to have to be ready. I can hardly see to watch your backs as well as mine. The smell of decay is throwing everything off." She muttered, and then grabbed Sokka's arm.

"Okay men, let's move." He said, his voice ringing clarity and leadership. He just barely caught the smile tugging at Toph's lips.

Sokka motioned for the men to fall back as he opened the door. The guards that were seated around the table looked up at him, their fire-whips readied. Sokka glanced around, hoping to locate the warden.

"If you stand down, you can all live. If you fight, if we don't kill you, Firelord Zuko will." The guards, all men, snickered. Sokka turned towards his men, and motioned for them to take the guards by force. As he was turning back to face the guards, he jerked his head to the left, just in time to miss getting hit with a fire-whip. He pulled his boomerang out and flicked it, rendering two men without their whips. Sokka could feel the adrenaline beginning to kick in. "This is your last chance, stand down!" he yelled, knowing that Toph didn't need his protection, but needing to provide it all the same. Another guard whipped at him, and he flicked his boomerang again as he dodged. The whip landed a hit on the soldier behind him and Sokka cursed. They were supposed to be paying attention.

Pandemonium erupted.

Toph leaned over and sent a column of metal towards two guards, and encased them up to their necks. She dodged a blast of fire from another, and pulled the dagger from her thigh. As someone came down around her neck, she sliced at their stomach. Toph struggled to her feet after the guard fell on her. She felt another man grab her as the sound of one of her soldiers screaming reached her ears. She elbowed her attacker, and swiped with her knife again. As the man fell, so did Toph. Toph forced herself to get up, and took a moment to gain her bearings, her bare feet stomping the floor once.

By the looks of it, Sokka had taken down at least seven men, add that to Toph's four and the previous two, and that left seven guards plus the warden. Sokka was currently battling two, hand to hand by the feel of it. Toph moved towards him, hoping to help. She momentarily wondered where the rest of her soldiers had gone; she couldn't sense any of them.

Before Toph could reach Sokka, someone sent a blast of fire towards her chest, and she managed to dodge it. She sent a column of rock towards the man, and smiled with satisfaction. She had managed to get two for the effort of one. By the time she reached Sokka, he had taken down both men, and the soldiers had restrained the remaining three men. Impulsively, Toph wrapped her arms around Sokka and he swung her around. Toph felt her cheeks heat up as he set her down, and she stomped to get another look. She could only feel six of the ten men they had brought.

"Oh no," she whispered. Sokka placed a hand on her shoulder before he knelt to check the fallen for pulses. Sokka slowly shook his head. The four soldiers were gone. Toph could feel tears rising to her eyes; she had never lost a man before, much less four. Sokka gripped her arm and led her out of the room, whispering to the remaining soldiers to gather the fallen and prepare them for a sea-side burial.

Sokka deposited Toph outside of the warden's office, and opened the door. The warden was sitting in a chair, staring at the door. He held a small knife in his hand.

"Put the knife down. It's over." He commanded, his blue eyes burning with ferocity. The warden tilted his head sideways and smiled.

"I will not be a prisoner." He stated, and cut his throat. Sokka stepped back, surprised, and shook his head.

"Damn it!" he yelled and slammed his fist into the wall. Toph's hand gripped his wrist, and he spun around.

"It's not your fault. What difference does it make if he's dead or rotting? At least he can't hurt anyone anymore." She said, her vacant eyes locked with his. Sokka looked away and sighed. He put an arm around Toph's shoulder and he guided her away from the bloody mess. As he turned to thank Toph, he realized that the front of her kimono was soaked in blood.

"Are you hurt?" he questioned, fear contaminating his words. Toph clutched at her stomach and shook her head.

"Of course not! Come on, we need to load up the gondola and get out of this place." Sokka eyed her skeptically, but led her back down the hall, down the stairs, and into the sunshine.

Toph clutched her side and mentally cursed. How could she have let herself get hurt? She was Toph Bei Fong! Nothing could touch her. Even as she thought them, she knew the words were untrue. Sokka had touched a place in her heart that she still couldn't escape. Toph sighed under his arm, and realized that despite the years, she still fit perfectly within them.

Toph slowly marginally, and Sokka glanced down at her. It was then that he realized blood was coursing down her leg. He spun Toph around towards him, and touched the front of her kimono. He pulled his hand away, and stared at the fresh blood. The blood from his fallen enemies had already dried on his hands and arms. He stared at Toph accusingly as panic filled his heart.

"Toph! You lied to me! You are hurt!" he roved his hand over her stomach, feeling where the blade had sliced her. Tears filled his eyes at the thought of how much pain she must be in. Sokka grabbed her wrist and picked her up, one arm around her back and one underneath her knees. He carried her back into the prison, and towards the infirmary. Toph raised a fist and punched his chest weakly.

"If I wasn't in so damn much pain, I would kill you." Toph murmured, her eyes sliding shut. Sokka forced a laugh.

"I know you would." He kicked open the door and laid Toph on the closest cot. He dug through the drawers until he found clean bandages and a healing salve. He thought about how he could really use Katara as he undid the white belt on her hips. Her kimono fell open and he used a wet towel to wipe away the excess blood. He stared at the gash and smiled; the wound wasn't deep enough to have injured any of her vital organs. It had penetrated her muscles, and it was going to hurt something fierce when she woke up. He applied the salve and wrapped her stomach in the bandages. He slid off his pack and dug around for his spare clothes. He found a sleeveless blue tunic and a pair of pants. He took her kimono off, and then eased her into his clothes. He used her sash to hold the clothes in place, and admired his work. She would be alright.

Toph inhaled Sokka's scent and smiled.

"Why did you toss your boomerang and sword to save me during the comet?" she asked. Sokka jumped, having thought she was sleeping, and looked away, deep in thought.

"Sometimes you lose things for the ones you love." He replied. Toph faded out of consciousness, and she wondered if she had imagined his words.

**A/n: **Okay. Hopefully this chapter didn't seem rushed. I may not be able to get much up until later; we have a storm coming in, and I usually lose power. So, if I don't get anything up again today, I apologize in advance. I will as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and please review! Special thanks to my reviewers! You guys keep me going! ~Kirsten


	8. Chapter 8: Forgiven

Chapter 8: Forgiven

Sokka helped Toph into his bed and sighed. She was at it again; sneaking off while he was steering the ship from the deck, hoping to give her some rest. Sokka ignored Toph as she yelled at him.

"Why do you have to be such an ass Snoozles? I just want some air!" she muttered, delivering a blow to his shoulder. Sokka looked up, surprised to have heard the nickname she had yet to call him since he had found her again. He ignored it, chalking it up to Toph trying to butter him up to sneak off again and laughed.

"I'm an ass because you have a flesh-wound and want to go frolicking around the boat." Toph punched him in the shoulder again. "Ow! What was that for?" he asked, rubbing the tender meat of his shoulder. Toph rolled her eyes.

"Do I look like I 'frolic' to you?" Sokka laughed at her and shrugged.

"No, I guess not. Not while you're in my clothes. However, one could assume from the outfit I met you in that frolicking is a possibility." Toph lifted a hand, but didn't slap him.

"What are you saying?" she questioned, her hand still raised as if debating on whether to strike him. Sokka rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well…it's just…a nice outfit?" he asked, waiting to be hit. An evil smile enveloped Toph's face.

"Admit it Sokka, you thought I was hot!" Sokka stepped backwards, and raised his palms towards her.

"Toph, I don't think that we should discuss this." Toph tilted her head slightly, and smiled demonically.

"I think we should. Admit it Sokka, you've fallen in love with me, just like I said you would. And now, I don't want you." Sokka felt his stomach drop as if her words had hurt him. And they had.

"Toph, I didn't say that." Toph shrugged and leaned back. Sokka stared at her, and realized the rightness of her being in his clothing. He realized the rightness of her being in his head. All at once, he realized the rightness of her in his life. Toph was right; he loved her, and it was too late. Sokka turned away from the beautiful sight of her stretched out on his bed in his clothes, and made a break for the door. Toph struggled to sit up at the sound of his retreating footsteps.

"Sokka, are you alright? I was just messing with you." Her voice was laced with genuine concern. Sokka shook his head and shut the door behind him.

Toph sat in the silence that Sokka had created and wondered if she had truly hurt him. She was just kidding; after two years she hardly believed that Sokka suddenly loved her. They had been friends for so long before that, and then…then Toph threw all of it away on some whim that she could make him love her.

Toph had no illusions in the role she had played in the downfall of their friendship. If she hadn't been so hardheaded and mean, they would still be friends. But, she'd be damned before she would tell him that. So, for the past two years she had avoided him, hoping that they could someday go back to the way things had been before. And yet, when the opportunity presented itself, she let fear get the best of her and she was being mean purely as a defense mechanism. Truthfully, she was so happy just to be around him again. If she had had any doubts before about still loving him, it was clear to her now that she still did. Toph still loved Sokka, and he still didn't feel the same.

Sokka inhaled the salty air and held his arm out as soon as he spotted Hawky flying towards his ship. The messenger hawk perched onto his arm, and Sokka took the scroll. As he read, his eyes widened and he fell to his knees.

"Oh no…" he whispered. Sokka slammed his fist into the deck of the boat, and he screamed. "I'll kill her! I'll fucking kill her!" he swore, his face filled with undeniable pain and unmistakable rage. Toph put a hand on his shoulder, the other arm wrapped around her waist.

"Sokka, what's wrong? What happened?" she asked. Sokka gripped her hand as if it would save him.

"It's Azula. She's kidnapped Kira." He whispered, and Toph knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around his shaking body.

"Oh spirits! Sokka, I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do?" Sokka nodded slowly.

"We're going to get you to Katara for starters. Once she heals you, then you and I, and Aang and Katara are going to travel to Zuko's palace and get him and Mai. Then, we'll plot our next move. Azula said she'll send her demands once we're all together." Toph nodded and held Sokka tighter, offering her strength. Sokka hugged her back, clutching at the back of her shirt…well…his shirt. Toph stroked his hair and buried her face in his neck.

"We're going to get her back Sokka. She's going to be fine. Whatever Azula wants, it's clear that it isn't Kira." Sokka nodded, enjoying the comfort that her embrace brought, and smiled.

"Are you going to hurt me for this later?" he quipped, feeling slightly better than when he had first read the letter. Toph pretended to mull it over.

"I guess I can let it go just this once Snoozles." She replied, snuggling further into his neck. Sokka took a moment to savor the feeling, knowing that they would probably never be this close again. Toph pulled away, and tugged on the collar of his shirt. "Sokka, when you undressed me, did you notice anything?" Sokka blanched and quickly shook his head.

"I wasn't looking! I swear Toph!" Toph rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"That's not what I meant, but thanks for degrading me." Sokka stared at her crossly.

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?" Toph rolled her eyes again and punched him lightly.

"Most women like to think that they have something worth looking at." Sokka laughed.

"Most women don't have men believing that they'll be crushed for attempting it." Toph managed a laugh.

"That's true Meathead. I probably would have crushed you. What I meant was…have you seen this?" She lifted up his tunic and turned around. On the back of her neck was a tattoo of the moon and on her shoulder was a lone, gray wolf, howling. Sokka's eyebrows shot up; he kicked himself mentally for not noticing sooner.

"Toph, when did you get that, and why?" Toph smiled.

"I like to tell people that I was really drunk when I got it." She teased. Sokka gave her a quizzical look and then a light clicked on in his head.

"Katara didn't!" he stated. Toph smirked and pulled the shirt back down, wincing with the effort.

"Yeah, she did. Sugar-queen told me that you got yourself branded while you were drunk. I just wanted to see what it felt like." She said, acting like they were discussing the weather.

"Is there significance in it?" he asked, his heart racing at the thought of her knowing he had gotten a tattoo that was meant to represent her. But, maybe she didn't know that part of it.

"Is there significance in yours?" she challenged. Sokka pressed a hand to his chest and sighed.

"You tell me and I'll tell you." he compromised. Toph nodded and smirked again.

"I figured that since you were the first in our little group to get a tattoo, mine would focus on you. I always liked your perky wolf's tail, and you were always fond of the moon, so I had them do a moon and wolf." Sokka nearly choked at the thought; sure he had gotten a tattoo to remind him of her, but he never would have fathomed that she would do the same. "Your turn," she smiled, looking more pleased than he felt. Sokka took a deep breath and began.

"Well, I wasn't drunk when I got it. I was feeling really down, and I kept thinking about you and how I must have upset you a lot." Toph glared at him.

"You got a tattoo out of guilt?" she demanded. Sokka put a hand over her mouth.

"Let me finish. I really missed you and I knew that no matter what you may have said to Aang and Katara, I was the reason you were gone. I wanted to be reminded of that daily, so that I could never forget that I had hurt you. I guess that even without the tattoo I still couldn't forget. Anyway, I thought about getting the symbol of the Earth Kingdom, but it didn't seem personal enough. So…I got a tattoo of a badger-mole's face…right over my heart." Toph stared at him for several painfully long minutes. Then, tears filled her eyes and she brought her hand to his chest. She slipped her hand into his shirt and felt the scarred skin. She pulled her hand out and threw her arms around him.

"You're forgiven Sokka." She whispered, her voice laced with tears. Sokka smiled and wrapped his arms around her, and then kissed her forehead.

"It's about damn time." He laughed, the sound somehow closing the gap that had formed between them.

Aang and Katara jumped up as Sokka opened the gate to their home. Katara stared at Sokka for a moment before glancing at his companion. Toph had changed back into the outfit she had been attacked in after Sokka had cleaned and sewn it up. Her long hair was down, and her shaggy bangs covered her eyes.

"Let me get this straight. You run off to find Toph and apologize, and you come back with some hot new girlfriend?" Katara yelled, and Aang gently poked her.

"Katara," he whispered. "I think that _is _Toph." Toph and Sokka both laughed, and she released her grip on his arm. Katara ran to Toph and wrapped her arms around her.

"Spirits Toph! You look so…so…"

"Hot?" Toph supplied. Katara laughed and let go. Toph winced and touched her stomach. "So…you think you can work your magic on my stomach? I got hurt…and I'm hoping that it won't scar." Katara smiled and nodded.

"Of course I can. You come with me while Aang and Sokka develop a plan of attack." The girls headed into the house, and Sokka stared at his brother.

"Shit Aang. What are we going to do?" he asked, his blue eyes worried. Aang looked back at Sokka, worry engraved in his eyes as well, and shrugged.

"The only thing we can do. We get Zuko and Mai, wait for Azula's next letter, and then do whatever she wants. I suppose if worse comes to worst, I can just take away her bending." Sokka stared at the young man, wondering where his strength was coming from. As if on cue, Aang began to cry, and Sokka pulled the young man into an embrace.

"Don't worry, we'll get her back." He whispered, praying that he was right.

**A/N: **Okay, so here is this chapter. Hopefully it didn't seem too rushed. Um, thanks again to all of you who are reviewing. When I get this thing finished, you will all be given recognition. I'm not sure if I will be able to get another chapter up tonight, but I will certainly try. Thanks for reading, and please continue to do so. Reviews always welcome. ~Kirsten


	9. Chapter 9: Let Down

Chapter 9: Let Down

Toph, Sokka, Aang, and Katara rode in Appa's saddle, headed towards the Firenation. Aang had abandoned his typical post on Appa's neck in favor of comforting his wife. Katara was braiding Toph's long hair with minimal protest from the blind woman.

Toph scowled as Katara tugged on her long hair, and kicked Sokka in the shin.

"Hey!" he cried. "What was that for?" Toph smirked and shrugged.

"I don't know Snoozles. We all know I'm just the helpless blind girl when I'm on Appa." Katara rolled her eyes as Sokka rubbed his injured leg.

"Oh sure, take her side." He muttered, and then glanced towards the palace rising on the horizon. "Does anyone else feel weird?" Katara and Aang exchanged a glance and shrugged. Toph slipped the dagger from her waist and ran the tip under her nails. Katara gave her a perturbed look.

"Is that safe?" she asked, tying off the braid she had created. Toph laughed as they began to descend.

"Oh man, you would have lost your mind if you had been with me these past two years." She answered, her expression playful. Katara put a hand to her head and looked away from the girl and down at the palace. As they landed, Zuko was already running into the courtyard to meet them.

"Aang, Katara, I am so sorry for this. I always knew that Azula was unstable, but I never thought that she could do something so…" Katara turned away, breaking into sobs. Surprisingly, it was Toph who wrapped her arms around the stricken woman. Aang clasped Zuko's hand, and nodded.

"Thank you for agreeing to consider her demands." Zuko nodded and then shook his head.

"A letter just arrived, but I was waiting until you arrived to open it." The four followed Zuko into the palace.

Mai threw a bag onto the war-room table, startling the group. Zuko glanced at his wife with a look of confusion.

"What, you didn't think that you guys were going without me do you? I have a score to settle." She said, opening the bag. Inside was an array of throwing knives, arrows, and blades. There was a small satchel that she pulled out and unfolded, revealing a set of daggers. She handed one to Katara and one to Aang. At Aang's look of revulsion, Mai sighed. "With Azula, it may come down to killing or being killed." Sokka nodded enthusiastically.

"I have a couple daggers, and I know Toph has at least one. Do you still have your dual swords?" he asked Zuko, and Zuko nodded.

"Yes. I think that Ty Lee and Suki would be good additions to our rescue party." Sokka cringed at the mention of Suki's name, and Toph glared.

"Why do we need that bitch?" she asked, venom dripping from her words. Zuko and Mai exchanged a glance, but Katara intervened first.

"Ty Lee's skills are greatly appreciated, but do we really need Suki?" Zuko shrugged.

"I suppose not, but you know that she'll want to come." Sokka snuck a peek at Toph, and was relieved to see that she looked calmer. He touched her thigh and she jumped, surprised at the contact. As she blushed, Mai spoke.

"Okay. So tell me again what Azula's demands are, and what our plan of attack is." Sokka smiled, having a chance to talk.

"Okay, so Azula wants Zuko in exchange for Kira. We're supposed to meet her at the beach house their parents used to live in. Basically, the two are supposed to do that whole, walk to the other side exchange thing. Katara has sent word to the North Pole, asking Chief Arnook for water from the Spirit Oasis, just in case something should go wrong. A messenger hawk should have it to us before we get there. As soon as Kira is close enough, Katara will take her into a cave that Toph is going to create, and then Aang and I will help Zuko if needed." Mai nodded slowly.

"The rest of us will serve as back up, right? And if Azula tries anything, Ty Lee can block her chi." Sokka snapped his fingers.

"Precisely! But, I'm not going to tempt the universe and say that everything will be okay." He smiled, clearly proud of his cleverness. Toph rolled her eyes. Mai smiled.

"Okay, so then…I guess we're headed to Kyoshi Island to pick up Ty Lee." Zuko nodded, and they left the war-room to prepare for the journey.

Toph stretched her legs out, and accidentally hit Zuko in his sensitive man parts.

"Ah! Toph, watch where you're…oh." Zuko trailed off, staring into Toph's milky eyes. Toph rolled her eyes and scooted closer to Sokka, and stretched her legs to the left of Zuko.

"Sorry, I can't watch anything. I'm not used to Appa's saddle being so full." Sokka absently noticed her closeness, and blushed. Mai, looking for action like usual, called him out.

"Aw, is Toph snuggling with her Meathead?" she joked, her eyes lighting up. Sokka blushed and Toph smiled.

"Of course she is. She loves her Meathead. Toph wants to do so many things to her Meathead in this saddle." Mai's jaw dropped and Zuko laughed. Aang glanced at Toph from his position on Appa's head.

"Toph, when we get Kira, you know you can't talk like that, right?" Katara giggled as Toph blushed.

"I was just teasing Apathy. No harm intended." Sokka was still in a state of shock, and struggling to force the slew of thoughts she had drawn up out of his head. Toph leaned back into him, and bit his arm.

"Spirits Toph!" he yelled. Toph tilted her head up at him and smiled.

"That help?" she asked, her eyes dancing with mischief. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know how it is that you guys managed to travel together for so long without killing each other." Sokka smiled and elbowed his sister.

"Years of practice." She muttered. "I had a lot of practice."

Later that night, they landed about a day's travel from Kyoshi Island, and set up camp. Having learned from previous mistakes, Toph helped set up camp. As they all settled into their bedrolls around the fire-courtesy of Zuko-Sokka couldn't help but notice they had all paired off. Toph was already asleep beside him, her bedroll mere inches from his. She had been abnormally quiet the rest of the ride. Sokka had his suspicions that it had something to do with Suki, but said nothing. Sokka had long since fallen out of love with the warrior, and his newfound…old…feelings for Toph were so close to the surface, he was surprised he hadn't blurted them out as yet. Toph seemed to be shying away from him, becoming a source of comfort for Katara, who was prone to breaking down and crying at random times. He wondered if it had been his actions during the meeting in the war-room. Sokka hoped that he had not succeeded in pushing Toph further away from him.

The journey to Kyoshi was long, and Toph was incredibly irritable. Anytime anyone would mention Kyoshi Island, she would go off on a tangent about the lack of self-worth makeup brought about. She went on about true beauty and the artificiality body enhancement brought. After a while, the group learned that it was best not to bring it up. As they touched down on Kyoshi Island, Toph opted to stay on Appa and keep guard.

Sokka found Ty Lee and Suki in the Kyoshi Warrior training room. They both perked up at the sight of him, and he received hugs from both women. As they both stared at him inquisitively, he delivered the bad news.

"Azula kidnapped Katara and Aang's daughter, and she wants Zuko in exchange. Ty Lee, we would like if you could come, in case things go bad. We already have a plan, and I'll explain it-" Suki raised a hand.

"Wait a minute Sokka. You guys don't want my help?" Sokka slowly shook his head.

"It's not that at all Suki. We just figured that you have a lot of responsibilities here, and we didn't want to pull you away from them." Suki gave him a skeptical look, and Ty Lee smiled.

"I'm honored to help!" Suki glared at Sokka.

"Well, I'm coming too. Kira means a lot to me too." Sokka sighed and pointed towards Aang-who was being worshiped by several teenage girls.

"Talk to Aang about it. I need to check on Toph and Appa." Suki put a hand on his arm.

"Is she the reason you guys don't want me to come? She doesn't want me to?" she asked, her eyes displaying the hurt she felt. Sokka put a hand on her cheek.

"Look, all Toph remembers about us splitting is that I was hurt. She's just trying to protect me. I'm sure that if you're nice to her, she won't mind." Suki nodded and walked towards Aang, hoping to get his approval to come. Sokka turned and headed back towards Appa. Toph was sitting in his saddle, casting stones into the water. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" he called. Toph jumped, surprised by his presence, and waited as he climbed into the saddle with her. After a moment, she sighed.

"You're going to stay with Suki, right?" Sokka stared at Toph blankly.

"Um…no. Suki and I ended a long time ago. We haven't spoken in years. But, I wanted to tell you, she's demanding to come. I just wanted to warn you. I'm sorry Toph." Toph shrugged, her face turned away from him.

"Whatever." She muttered, casting another stone into the water. Sokka sighed.

"Toph, I think there are some things that we need to talk about." Toph rolled her eyes and turned back to him.

"Sokka, I think it's best if we just focus on the task at hand, okay? I need to stay focused so that nothing goes wrong." Sokka slowly nodded, ready to confess his feelings but understanding her need for focus.

"Okay Toph. Whenever you are ready." He said, and left Toph to her thoughts.

Toph had been silent the entire ride from Kyoshi Island to the island they were currently camped at. Ty Lee had flirted shamelessly with Sokka, and he had politely shut down her advances. Suki had attempted to make small talk with her multiple times, but Toph ignored her. She was curled in her rock tent, away from the fire and the others, wondering if she had been wrong to believe Sokka when he said that he was no longer in love with Suki. Right now, she could feel Suki moving towards Sokka. The two left together, and headed away from the group. Hurt, Toph stood, not wanting to feel the vibrations she was sure they were about to create, and pushed her tent back into the ground. She stood up and moved to Appa's saddle, now on the ground, and nestled into it, tears silently coursing down her cheeks.

Sokka stared at Suki and slowly shook his head.

"I don't know what Toph's problem is. I wish I could help you, but she isn't exactly speaking to me right now either." Suki sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"So, have you finally admit your feelings to her?" Sokka gaped at Suki and she laughed in return. "Come on, we all knew that it was just a matter of time. Don't worry, I'm not mad at you." Sokka shrugged and sighed.

"Yeah, I really love her. It's weird knowing that we should have been together all this time." Suki nodded.

"Well, I wish you luck and happiness. Things will work out, I promise." Sokka nodded and went back to his bedroll, closing his eyes and preparing himself mentally for tomorrow's battle.

**A/N: **I just realized how squished my writing looks. I thought that upgrading my writing software would have fixed that. Hmm…anyway, thank you for reading and please review! Thanks again to all of you that have, it really encourages me to keep going. More tomorrow. ~Kirsten


	10. Chapter 10: Even

Chapter 10: Even

Toph's vacant eyes stared into the distance as she used her Earthbending to survey their surroundings. Toph could feel the adrenaline pumping through everyone's veins as they tensed for Azula's arrival with Kira. Suki was standing with Ty Lee on one side of the house-the side Azula would presumably enter through-and Katara had taken up her position behind Toph. Aang and Zuko were side by side in front of Toph and Katara. Sokka and Mai were on either side of the women, bracing for the worst possible outcomes.

Toph's silence had become unnerving to Sokka, and it wasn't until Suki made the mistake of pissing her off that he realized why.

Suki stepped away from her position, and turned towards the house. Toph rounded on her, her small fists raised, and began to scream.

"You stupid bitch! We are about to begin a hostage negotiation! Where the hell do you think you're going?" Toph yelled, causing Suki to freeze in place.

"Excuse me?" Suki replied, her temper igniting. "What gives you the right to call me names? I have to use the bathroom?"

Toph rolled her eyes and slammed a bare foot into the ground. "I'm Toph Bei Fong bitch, you better get that straight quick! I have my family's lives on the line, and I will be damned if you're going to endanger them! Just because you and Sokka make with the nasty still doesn't mean that you are exempt from protecting me!" Suki and Sokka stared at Toph in shock; Katara put a hand on Toph's wrist.

"Toph," she began, her blue eyes filled with concern. "Maybe now isn't the best time for this." Toph turned away from Suki in disgust and tapped her bare foot again, her green kimono swirling around her leg.

"She's here," Toph whispered, "And she brought Kira." They all tensed for battle as Azula entered through the left of the expansive yard. Her hair had grown back; she wore it in a simple ponytail. She wore a red tunic and black pants. She had become gaunt, presumably from avoiding Zuko's soldiers. Kira was beside her, holding her hand and telling her a story like they were great friends. The group managed to catch the tail-end of it.

"And then," Kira concluded. "Uncle Sock fell asleep in his soup. Mommy said he was innovative." Azula smiled at the child.

"I see, but I think you mean iniebriated." Azula corrected. She turned to Aang and Zuko. "I see that you showed up, and with reinforcements. Not to worry. I have no plans of taking you all on." she added flippantly.

Aang took a step forward. "Zuko's here, now give me my daughter." Azula smiled brightly at him.

"You know," she began. "A thought occured to me. I happen to know that Zu Zu desperately wants to find our mother, and if you give me Aang instead, I'll tell you exactly where she is." Zuko and Aang exchanged a glance, and Zuko stepped forward.

"That isn't what we agreed on Azula." Zuko replied, and Azula stretched her arms above her head.

"Fine," she answered. "Take a minute to mull it over, and I'll even allow Ty Lee to restrain me if it will make you feel better." Aang nodded to Ty Lee, and the acrobat moved forward, slowly, drawing everyone's attention but Toph. The moment Azula shifted to strike.

Toph created a crater beneath Kira, covered it, and brought it to Katara. Toph shifted the crater into a protective barrier for the two as chaos broke out.

Ty Lee struggled to reach Azula, dodging several fire-blasts. Aang came up on the other side and sent a rush of air at her. Azula dodged and sent a burst of blue-flame towards Zuko, who had been sneaking up on her.

Suki flung a fan towards Azula, and Mai threw a knife at the same time. Azula dodged and both weapons went over her head. Ty Lee attempted another hit as Aang tried to contain Azula in a rock. Azula dodged both attacks and aimed a burst of flames towards the barrier Toph had created to protect Katara and Kira.

Toph struggled to maintain the barrier, and sent a boulder towards Azula, knocking her backwards a few feet. As Azula got to her feet, Sokka rushed to join his sister, hoping to assist Toph in any way possible.

Toph felt the lightning the moment it left the ground, and jumped in front of Sokka. As pain coursed through her body, she encased Azula in a pillar of rock. Mai and Ty Lee surrounded the rock and Ty Lee hit a pressure point on the side of Azula's neck, effectively knocking her unconcious.

Sokka rushed to Toph's side as the young woman fell to the ground. Aang ran over and picked up Kira. Katara rushed from behind the barricade, and crouched beside the woman, rushing to open her water pouch. Toph tilted her head towards Sokka, a grin on her face.

"Now," she choked out. "We're even, and you can get out of my life and stay out of it." Toph went limp, and Katara ran her healing waters over the woman.

**A/N: **Okay, so hopefully this chapter-yes I know it's short-was in better format. Thank you to all of my reviewers. I'll try to get another chapter up, but I have to add to my other story first. Thank you for reading and please review. Thanks, Kirsten


	11. Chapter 11: Closing the Wounds

Chapter 11: Closing the Wounds

Toph slowly opened her eyes, not that she could see, but to signify to anyone in the room that she was conscious. As it were, she had a feeling that Aang was there-she could smell the distinct scent of Appa-and she could sense someone continually shifting-the rustling of their clothes reached her ears-but that was it. She couldn't smell the faint scent of meat that Sokka carried, or the smell of the ocean that was ever-present on Katara.

Aang touched Toph's shoulder and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Toph touched her chest, which still hurt a fair amount, and shrugged.

"I'm fine. Who else is in here?" Toph asked while struggling to sit up. Aang glanced around the room, and then smiled.

"It's just me and Mai. Katara and Zuko went to find Sokka, and Ty Lee and Suki left already. They said to give you their best wishes for a full recovery." Toph rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, did you tell Suki that she had my best wishes to get-" Toph began, but a deep voice interrupted her.

"Toph! You're up!" Toph tilted her head towards the sound, not fully believing her ears. She struggled to sit up, and Aang offered his hand. She grabbed his forearm and pulled herself into a sitting position, releasing his hand quickly.

"Dad?" she asked, her voice unsteady. The man stepped into the room of the infirmary, his eyes filled with tears, despite his regal appearance.

"Toph, my daughter, I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you." He knelt before his daughter, his head bowed. "I never truly understood your strength, and for that, you have my sincerest apologies." He bowed deeper, and Toph aimed a hand in the direction she assumed his shoulder was in.

"Father, I'm not mad at you. I understand that you didn't get me, and I'm not mad." She said, and her father stood and hugged her gently. Toph smiled as he pulled away. "Tell me that you didn't come all the way here to apologize." Her father's expression changed and he blushed.

"Well, yes and no. You see, when we found out that you had been injured, we wanted to ask you to come back and live with us. I promise that we will not treat you the same way we once had." Toph could hear the raw emotion in her father's words, but...part of her still wanted the freedom she had gained. Toph's father continued to speak. "But, when your Water Tribe Warrior met me at the station, his words convinced me that you are in good hands here." Toph's eyes widened. _Her _Water Tribe Warrior? He couldn't be referring to Sokka. Toph chose her next words carefully.

"What words?" she asked.

* * *

"You did what?" Katara cried. Sokka raised his hands in the air as if it would placate his sister's anger.

"Look, Toph's father wanted to take her back with him. I just did her a favor." he said, rationalizing his irrational behavior. Katara took a step towards him, and Zuko stepped between them.

"Sokka, I don't know that Toph is going to see you asking her father for her hand in marraige as a favor." Zuko countered, agreeing with Katara. Sokka waved away Zuko's words.

"Hey, in a couple of weeks, once her father is safely home, she can just say that something happened and she changed her mind. That way she gets to keep her freedom. Toph will totally go for it." Sokka justified, his voice filled with conviction. Katara snorted.

"She's _totally _going to kill you." She laughed. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Look, how do you think her father is going to react when he finds out that you lied. That's going to make you look bad, and he'll probably cage her just to keep her away from you." Zuko added, his eyes looking skyward. Sokka's face fell.

"I hadn't thought of that." he said, his voice pained. Katara dropped her smugness and put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"We'll work it all out." She said, her face contorted into a look of motherly concern. Sokka snapped his fingers.

"Or, I can convince her to marry me for real!" Sokka said, his eyes alight with excitement. Zuko slapped his forehead and Katara's jaw dropped.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" Zuko questioned. Katara rounded on him, her face contorted with anger.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't just suggest that. For Toph's sake. Not yours. You spent the majority of your friendship hurting her because of how much she loved you. For Spirit's sake, she took on a deadly mission to get away from you and the hurt you were causing her. And now, now you're going to suggest getting married. Have you completely lost it?" Katara yelled, her heart going out to the young Earthbender. Sokka froze, his expression a mask of his pain.

"Katara, I realized a while ago that Toph and I are like two parts of a whole. We are meant for each other. I know that I have hurt her, and I'll be damned if I don't regret it. But I know now where we belong, and that's together." Sokka said, tears filling his eyes. He turned away from his sister and sighed. Katara's face softened, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Zuko stared at the two, and then cleared his throat.

"We should probably go talk to Toph before her father gets to her." He added helpfully.

* * *

Aang stepped to the side as Sokka and Katara entered Toph's room, Zuko hot on their heels. Mai sighed and tossed Kira up and down, producing a laugh from the young girl. Katara took up a position next to her daughter, and Sokka moved to Toph's side. Toph was sitting in her bed, her face composed into a look of utter calm.

"Sokka," she said, her voice even. Katara glanced at Mai and mouthed, 'She's gonna kill him'. "I just spoke with my father, and he's under some weird notion that you and I are getting married." Toph continued, her vacant eyes settling on him. Sokka glanced around the room and cleared his throat.

"Could you guys give us some privacy?" he asked. Slowly, the others filed out of the room, and once they were a fair distance away, Sokka turned back to Toph. "I'm sorry I lied to your father. It's just that he was going to take you back with him, and I know how much your freedom means to you." He said, his voice quiet. Toph rolled her eyes.

"And you think that marrying me is going to give me my freedom." She concluded. Sokka shifted, unsure of her words.

"I figure that you can talk to him in a few weeks and tell him that things didn't work out, if you don't want to be with me." Sokka looked away from her face as he spoke, inwardly awaiting some form of violence. Toph snorted.

"If I don't want to be with you? Are you serious Sokka?" she asked, her voice ringing with annoyance. Sokka slowly nodded.

"Yes, if you don't want to be with me." He said, his voice dropping even lower. Toph laughed dryly.

"Really? Because, if I am remembering this correctly, I fell in love with you when we were kids, and I asked you to be with me. You rejected me, and then I took on a very dangerous mission with a possibility of death just to get away from you. And then, you track me down, lie to me about Zuko sending you to help me, and nearly get me killed twice! And then, oh it gets better, you lie to my father, my father Sokka, and tell him that we're getting married. And you expect me to just hop into your arms all sissy-like?" Toph ranted, her face filled with rage. Sokka stared at the ground for a long time, silence engulfing them in a thick shroud. Finally, he looked up and stared into her milky eyes.

"Toph, I love you. I should have realized it a long time ago, but I didn't and I hurt you. I'm sorry Toph." Sokka began, and Toph cut him off.

"Sorry doesn't mean shit Sokka. Sorry doesn't change what's happened to me because of you." Toph glared at him, tears filling her eyes. "Sorry doesn't change the past." Toph continued. Sokka stared at the floor again, but pressed on.

"Toph, I want to be with you. You were right and I was wrong. I'm sorry, okay?" He tried, his own eyes filling with tears as well. Toph snorted.

"If you want to be with me so much," her voice broke with the weight of her tears, and she began again. "Then why were you with Suki the other night?" she asked, although she didn't really want to hear his excuses. Sokka stared at her for a moment, confusion seizing him, and then the pieces clicked into place.

"Toph, I wasn't with Suki. She asked me how to get you to talk to her, and I told her that you held a grudge. I went to bed. That's all." Sokka reasoned, but Toph shook her head, her mind made up.

"Yeah, right Sokka. I'm so sure. Look, why don't you just go? I'll handle things with my father, but I never want to see you again." Toph yelled, finally reaching her breaking point. The tears began to fall, and Sokka stared at the Earthbender and saw something that he never would have seen coming; she was lying to him. It was evident in the way she cried, not out of anger, but out of pain.

Sokka stood pinned Toph's wrists to her sides, and leaned down. He captured her lips in a kiss so sweet, there was no denying that it was right. Toph pulled away, her expression a mixture of shock and confusion.

"I love you Toph, and you are all that I want. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Toph struggled in his hold, but he kissed her again, and she kissed him back, her body betraying her words.

"Don't touch me," she whispered, and he kissed her again. Toph kissed him back and pulled away. "I don't want to see you again!" she yelled, and Sokka held her close. Toph pounded her fists into his chest, each hit lighter than the previous, until she sank into his embrace. Toph moved her arms up, and returned his embrace. As tears slipped down her pale cheeks, soaking her long bangs, Toph tilted her head towards his. "Don't you ever leave me again." she begged, and Sokka pulled her tighter against him.

"I promise Toph, I won't ever leave you again. I love you so much." He buried his face in her hair, and held her tight. Toph nodded slowly, and sighed.

"I love you too."

* * *

****

A/N:

I know that this is another short chapter, but I had to go see a doctor. Anyway, here's this one. I'll try to get another one up tonight, but no promises. Thanks for reading, and please review. Thanks to all of my reviewers, you guys are awesome! ~Kirsten 


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue:

It had been two long years since Sokka and Toph had seen the others. They had taken on a mission for Zuko, a personal mission, and gone in search of his mother Ursa. After two years, they had found her, hiding out in the North Pole of all places. They were currently taking her back to Zuko, much to her delight.

* * *

Toph glared at Sokka and rolled her eyes. She may not be able to see, but she had the motions down. In fact, had she not been glaring over his shoulder, Sokka may have been intimidated.

"I'm serious!" she yelled before blowing her bangs out of her face. Sokka raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Okay, I know, you're serious." he placated. Toph rolled her eyes again and attempted to brush past him. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. He leaned down, and when their lips were close enough to touch, Toph punched him in the stomach.

"Then act like it," she replied as he doubled over. "I mean it Sokka!" she said before turning to Ursa, who was ringing her hands nervously.

"Ms. Bei Fong, I hope that you don't take me as inconsiderate, but, do you think this will impact us reaching my son before his birthday?" Ursa asked, her dark eyes filled with concern. Toph shook her head slowly.

"No, we'll be there by tonight if we get camp packed up." Toph replied, already moving to put out their fire. Sokka stared at her for a long moment before speaking.

"Toph, don't be mad at me. I just thought that you were kidding at first." Sokka said, his voice kind. Toph rolled her eyes and continued packing up camp. Sokka sighed and joined her, feeling like he had let her down.

* * *

Zuko sat up, nearly dropping Kira from his lap, and gasped. Mai immediately reached for the young girl as Zuko moved towards the door that had just opened. Mai watched tears gather in her husband's eyes, and Aang and Katara walked back into the room, a bowl of fire-flakes in hand. Aang opened his mouth to speak, but Katara clamped a hand over it, hoping to preserve the moment for Zuko.

Ursa stepped towards her son, tears streaming down her face. As the two met in the center of the room, she embraced him, and they both cried.

* * *

Katara smiled at her brother, and then sighed. She, Toph and Sokka were seated in the dining hall, waiting for Aang and Kira to get back from their walk. They had opted to give Zuko, Mai and Ursa some time alone.

"Okay, why aren't you guys speaking?" She asked, noting the couple had not spoken to each other since arriving. Toph rolled her eyes and pointed at Sokka.

"Ask his brilliance over there." She said, her face a mask of annoyance. Katara turned her gaze back to her brother, and fixed him with a look that he squirmed under.

"For Spirit's sake Toph! I didn't know! I thought that you were kidding!" he yelled, finally breaking under Katara's mother-glare. Katara raised an eyebrow, and glanced back and forth between the two.

"Alright. I don't care whose fault it is. I want to know what's going on, and I want to know now." Katara stated, and the couple shifted, an uncomfortable silence ensuing.

"Look, I just don't want you to get mad Katara." Toph finally said, sending Sokka another evil stare. Sokka sighed and Katara slowly nodded.

"Of course I won't be mad. You guys are my family, and even if I was mad, I would still love you and help you out however I can." Katara said, her words sincere. Toph sighed and opened her mouth, but Sokka cut her off.

"Toph came to me yesterday morning and told me that we were going to be parents. I thought she was joking until she got pissed at me." He stated rather calmly. Katara's jaw dropped, and she worked several times to close it. Finally she sighed.

"You guys aren't married." She stated flatly. Toph shrugged slowly.

"When have I ever done anything the way people expected me to?" she asked, smoothing out her dragon kimono. Sokka smiled at Toph and place a hand on her thigh.

"It doesn't matter." Sokka verified. "I know that dad will accept the baby, no problems. And if Toph's family wants to be uptight about it, then it's their loss." He finished, sneaking a peek at Toph. Toph's eyes had filled with tears, and she put her hand on top of his.

"Thank you," she whispered. Sokka leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Katara smiled at the couple.

"You two are going to be fine." she smiled.

* * *

**A/N: **I wanted this chapter to be short, sweet and to the point. There was a finality in the last chapter that I didn't want to diminish. Originally, there were supposed to be a few more chapters, but after I wrote the last one, I felt like it was over. Okay, thank you to everyone who read this story. And thank you to everyone who reviewed. I wanted to give each and every person who did recognition, so I'll probably tack on a chapter at the end of this to personally thank everyone who reviewed. Thanks again for all of the support and encouragement. ~Kirsten


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